New Head Gasket, Head or What? Coolant related.

[Nali]

Hello again CA community.

My car has a very nasty problem, after running well for so long.I seem to be leaking coolant. I noticed that my car was running very hot. When i popped the hood, i noticed smoke coming from right of the intake before the covers.I did a closer inspection and found that coolant was all over. This pic will show exactly where the coolant was. *Crappy cellphone picture*



I drove the car to a local auto shop, because i thought it was just a pipe that was loose or broken. The mechanic told me that the coolant was leaking out of the Head and that i needed to re-machine the Head.

I respected his opinion until he told me that an engine as small as mine couldnt handle being turbocharged. So i wanted to get a second opinion. My car overheats too fast for me to drive anywhere to far from home so im kinda stuck home and with this useless mechanic. "who by the way drives a farted civic"

Please note this only started today. And the car showed no symptoms of a blown head or gasket.
Modified by Nali at 9:11 PM 9/5/2008

[Nali]

Im really doubting its leaking from the Head, because the coolant is depositing on the intake. Right where the picture is pointing.

The picture says "leaking from here", its actually meant to read "depositing" here

[Buddyworm]

To hell with the idiot mechanic. Blown head gaskets don't deposite oil on top of the manifold runners. Check your hoses behind the cold idle valve. I bet you one of them split (they always do) and your rad fan is blowing the leaking coolant back onto the runners.



The little hoses attached to SEC. 140 in that picture near the center. IE, directly behind the cold idle valve.

[Nali]

Is that diagram you put up for the oil lines or coolant lines, because i cant seem to find that hose attached to sec 140? It might be because its dark and im using a torch.

Anyway

Ill check that hose in the morning when i get up. Will i be able to reach it without disassembly or will i need to open the engine up to get to it.Cuz i need this car back on the road monday. Thank god i found it today. If the thing had died on me like monday i would really be f**ked.

[Nali]

Ive got some new pictures. Im pretty sure its just a ruptured hose. But ive carefully inspected all the Hoses in the immediete area of the leak and have found nothing.





I just cant find where the coolant is coming from. And the only guy near where i live who even knows what a CADeT is live too far to even think of driving.

Ive got moar pics but i thought these showed where the coolant is sitting. Right on the intake manifold.

Has anyone ever had this problem before, or even seen the coolant deposit like this. The whole radiator is empty after about 10miles of driving. The engine temp driving slowly reaches the redline too. SO i dont want to drive till if find the leak and fix it.

[float_6969]

I"ll bet it's the intake mani gasket. Did you put the brackets that go from the block to the mani back on? Regardless, try this.

Using light hose pressure, rinse the area off. Try not to spray the electronic components directly. Then fill the radiator back up, and start the car. Let it idle and warm up. Start looking for the coolant to show up.

[Two-Fortee]

My quick advice is to NEVER take it to that mechanic, ever. Not even for an oil change.

"an engine that size can't handle bing turbocharged"

HAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH

jesus christ, that made my week.

[Nali]

My quick advice is to NEVER take it to that mechanic, ever. Not even for an oil change.

"an engine that size can't handle bing turbocharged"

HAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHjesus christ, that made my week.

You know i honestly respected his opinion because i dont know too much about engine internals. So i took his word or it. But as soon as he said the CA couldnt handle being Turbocharged....well, lets just say i lost respect for him for him..

But my problem still persists ive got a torch and all the tools. But i dont know too much about engine internals so picking out whats wrong would be a mission for me.

I still cant find the ruptured hose.Im thinking about using the soapy water technique but im worried that where i might get soapy water where ever there ever the car is leaking.

[turbo-sil40]

you could have a bad thermostat it could have failed and now it is stuck closed instead of open, and it can be causing back pressure that made the coolant hose under the throttle body start to leak it may have a little pin hole and when the engine is at operating temp. it pushes its way through there. Check that hose it is directly below the throttle body and it connects to the back of the thermostat housing the hose is about 3-1/2 inches long sometimes that hose is over looked. Squeeze it with some pliers and if it sounds like it is cracking in the inside of the hose, it is probably rotted and brittle and cant hold the pressure. it happend to me one time, I was standing there with a guy that has an sr swap and his kept overheating and i told him to get a ca because mine never does and at that exact moment that hase messed up and coolant came pouring out it sucked, but anyway check that hose it may not be the problem but its a start.

[bentvalves]

pressurize the cooling system, you may have to bring it back to a shop as you probablly dont have this tool.

that will be the easiest way to find this leak.

[Nali]

I found the leak.YAY and Neah!.It seems buddy worm was correct. It is the hose right where i said it would be. i just cant get in to fix it.Ill get the tools to get right in and replace the hose.

Mods can...err brings me to next question....can you mods actually delete threads entirely??I just wanted to know.

[Zero260]

when I got my engine together the 1st time I had coolant leaking around there. it ended up that when the engine heated up, coolant pushed out from the intake manifold and pooled up there.

I took the mani off re-did the gasket with a gasket sealer and it worked fine.

but you said you saw it coming from a hose, is that one the hoses going to the throttle body?